Internal combustion engines are subjected to considerable wear of their components on start-up, before the lubricating oil normally contained within the engine sump is distributed through the engine by the engine driven oil pump. This is a particular disadvantage with engines that are frequently started and stopped and that are intended to have a very long service life.
Various pre-oiling devices have been proposed in the past. These usually include oil accumulators or power operated pumps and control systems that make them quite expensive.